Starfire went out for patrol. She hadn't really wanted to, as she hadn't wanted to do anything lately. But she'd feel worse if anything happened to a civilian when she could help.

Or if there was a clue to Robin she missed.

She shouldn't have worried so much. The evening patrol was quiet. As she passed, people smiled and waved. Even on the unpleasant side of town, the men that loitered on stoops gave her nods as greetings.

"Any word about your boyfriend yet?" Some guy asked.

"I am afraid not."

"Too bad. Hey, keep your chin up, Space Chick. You guys still make this city a good place to live."

Starfire smiled widely at the man. "That is what we have always strived to do!"

Starfire ended her patrol at the South pier, where the amusement park was. This place held fond and now painful memories for her, as she and Robin had shared many evenings at the park. It was nights when heroes weren't needed, and they could just be teens. Robin brought her here to share some of the joys of Earth.

They were in their fall season, and in just a few short weeks, they'd be closed until spring. Starfire hadn't gone at all that year. Most of the season, Robin had been gone, and in the early season, he'd been emotionally absent. Distracted by whatever ended up making him go missing.

"A walk down the pier will not hurt," she tried to convince herself.

But it did, a lot. As she wandered, her gaze would fall upon the stalls where she'd relive a memory of Robin trying to win her a stuffed animal.

Eventually, she was so downtrodden, she was too sad to fly. In order to get home, she'd need something to pick her mood back up.

The cotton candy cart was open.

Starfire sat down at a bench near the end of the pier with her treat. Yes, some fun sugar would be just enough to get her back.

"Oohh! A pink cloud! Don't mind if I do!" A hand ripped off a piece of her cotton candy.

"Excuse me!" Starfire snapped, not in the mood to deal with rude people.

But Black sat next to her on the bench, looking out over the ocean with her. Her anger disappeared fairly rapidly.

"Oh, it is only you, Friend Black."

He turned to her, a huge smile on his face. "You called me your friend!"

But instead of a jovial response, Starfire gaped at him. She hadn't noticed at first, but now she could see the far side of his face was covered in blood.

"You are bleeding!"

"I am?"

"Your face! It is quite graphic!"

He felt around, and touched the blood. "Ohhh that's why people were giving me those looks! That makes more sense now."

She fretted over him, trying to figure out how to fix it. "What has happened? How did you end up in just a state?"

"Oh, I took a stabaroni to the noodle. No bigs."

"A what to the what?"

"A knife to the head."

"A knife!? Friend Black, you must come with me to the Tower and get fixed up!"

"Oh I'm fine. Happens all the time."

This made Starfire even more terrified. "No! I shall take you home and Raven and Cyborg shall fix you up! You cannot run around with an open wound on your head!"

"What about your cotton candy?"

With one swipe of her three foot long tongue and a gulp, the rest of the cotton candy was gone.

"Hot."

"Now please, come with me!"

Black leapt into her lap. "I'll go wherever you want me to go, Sweetcheeks!"

Starfire didn't care about his flirting, and scooped him up into her arms, and took off into the air.

"Wh-wh-whoa!" Black wrapped his arms around her neck. "We're flying!"

"It is the quickest way home!"

"Wait! Hold me by the waist so I can hold out my arms!"

"No!"

"It'll be funny!"

"You are gravely injured, Black!"

"Booooo!"

They landed on the roof of Titans Tower, and Starfire set him down gently. "Please, wait here and don't move!"

He looked around the open rooftop that was easily twelve stories off the ground. "Where would I go?!"

Starfire rushed inside and zoomed through the halls. She headed to the medical wing, and took out her communicator on the way.

"Starfire to all Titans! I found Black while out on patrol! I have left him on the rooftop, and he is gravely injured!"

"Rooftop? Our rooftop?" Beast Boy asked.

"How injured?" Asked Raven.

"I believe he needs sutures! He said he was stabbed!" At this point, she had reached the medical wing and started gathering bandages, the suture kit, and whatever else she thought he'd need. "I am gathering supplies now. I must also add, he smells quite bad."

"How bad we talkin'? Beast Boy bad?"

"Hey!"

"Worse than Beast Boy!"

"HEY!"

"I'm on my way to the roof," Raven responded.

Starfire hurried to gather everything and flew back to the roof where Raven and Beast Boy were already waiting. Black was sitting propped up against a wall.

"I don't know how to help," said Beast Boy. "But I'm here."

"Here," Raven threw him a rag and water bottle from Star's supply. "Clean his face."

Black looked relatively calm despite his wound.

"Uh, here dude." Beast Boy wetted the rag and started dabbing the blood off his cheek.

Black just turned his cheek towards them, a patient and somewhat dim-witted smile on his face.

"I'll sanitize and numb the area," Raven hovered her hand over the wound. "Stitches may still hurt, but this will ease the pain."

"Gee wiz guys! This is awfully nice of you. I kinda like my face, so I didn't want it to fall off."

"Whoo!" Beast Boy recoiled. "You weren't kidding, Star. He reeks!"

"Moldy boy say what?"

"I'm not moldy!"

"I smell an infection. Black, do you have any other injuries?"

"Oh so many, Mrs. Magpie! But no worries. They aren't so bad. But this one…" he tapped his temple. "This one's pretty nasty."

"Alright," Cyborg declared, coming up to the roof. He started putting on nitrile gloves. "Where's my crazy buddy?"

"Borgy Boy! I got a boo-boo!"

"You sure do, kid." He opened the suture kit Starfire retrieved and prepared the needle and thread. "BB, can you hold the rag to his head? Put pressure on it. Star, when I start stitching him up, I will probably need you to hold him still so he doesn't jerk away."

"I have that handled!" She slid in behind him, arms around his shoulders.

"Oh, this is nice. I don't get hugs very often!"

"Here we go," Cyborg raised the needle.

Black's eyes widened and true, unrepentant fear scrawled across his face.

"He's gonna bolt," Raven observed.

"Not under my watch!" Starfire strong-armed him to her chest, and then used her hand to turn his face and keep him steady. "I am sorry to man-handle you, Friend."

With the needle out of his vision, he calmed slightly. "You can man-handle me all day, Kim Possible."

Cyborg pulled the first stitch and Black winced. "Oh!" Then the next one, "owie!" Then the next. "Ouchie!" And then the next—

Black let out a string of profanity that was so foul, it made everyone pause. He hurled slurs and horrible derogatory names. Then, he breathed. "I mean, ow."

Raven returned her healing magic to his wound and his anger started to wane.

Beast Boy dutifully wiped more blood away.

"Hey, I get the need to swear, but I'm not gonna take you calling me those names, got it, pal?" Cyborg said sternly, putting in the next stitch.

Black winced again. "So so so sorry, Baby Borg. Won't happen again! Ouchie!"

A few more stitches, and Black behaved, making cutesy sounds of pain before Cyborg either hit another nerve, or the pain was just too much.

"MOTHER–" and Black let the stream of profanity go as he thrashed in Starfire's arms.

"I do not need to knock you unconscious, do I?" Starfire asked, giving him a hearty squeeze.

Black struggled to breathe for a second, because of Starfire's grasp. Then he calmed down. "I'm sorry, it just really freaking hurts!"

"Did this one too?" Beast Boy pointed at the scar on his mouth. Both scars were on the same side of his face.

Black flexed his cheek, thinking about it.

"Mmmm can't remember."

"It looks like it's still healing," Raven commented. "How long did you say you've been without your memories?"

He shrugged.

Cyborg put the final stitch in his head, and started rubbing an antiseptic cream on it. "Make sure you keep this clean, okay man?"

"Okie dokie smokie!"

Then, while Starfire still had him pinned, Cyborg examined the scar on his cheek. He stuck a finger in Black's mouth and felt the inside of his cheek.

"'AY! 'Osh a ig iea?" Black garbled.

"This wound went all the way through his face. It looks like it was crudely stitched up. But it mostly healed. Not much to do about it."

Black blew a raspberry. "You could have warned me before probing me!"

"And if I had, you would have bit me," Cyborg argued.

"You have no proof!"

"How do you feel?" Starfire asked, releasing him.

Black felt the stitches in his hairline, before Cyborg smacked his hand. "Ow!"

"Don't touch it!"

"I feel…better. Thank you."

"Do you need a place to crash for the night?" Beast Boy asked.

"Nah, I got a place." He looked at Starfire. "You mind flying me back home, Beautiful?"

Starfire gave him a smile. "That, I can do. If you are sure."

"I'm sure."

"Here, just in case." Cyborg gave him the first aid kit that had bandaids and alcohol swabs in it. "Try not to get hurt any more, okay?"

Black tucked the kit inside his coat. "No promises Borgy-Boy." Then he broke into a dead sprint towards the edge of the tower.

Starfire shrieked and flew after him, catching him just as he cleared the edge. He whooped with joy as they took off into the air.

"He's going to get himself killed," Raven said drolly.

—

Starfire flew Black over the city, holding his waist like he had requested the first time. He had his arms out and continued to cry in excitement. "Higher! Faster!"

"Perhaps we shall some other time," Starfire argued, "for I do not wish to make your wound worse."

"Kill joy!" He reached up and grabbed her arms. "StarStar, can you drop me off at that tall red and black building?"

"The Wayne Tower?"

"That's it!"

"Whatever for? It is far from where you said you were living!"

"I need to do something."

She swooped down, letting his feet touch the roof. She let him go when she was confident he had his balance. Even then, she returned the grip he had on her arms. "Are you certain about this?"

"Yeppers! All good!"

She did not let go. She landed next to him, her brow furrowing. Something inside of her was screaming, demanding that she disobey him. "I am sorry, but I simply must take you to your home. You should rest."

Black's dopey grin slowly faded away into a scowl. He tilted his head down, his eyebrows now partially obscuring his eyes. "I insist." He said darkly.

"As do I!"

His grip on her arms turned painful, as he pulled her closer. "Let me be clear…"

Starfire panicked at this change of tone. Sure, she could handle herself in a fight, but his grip was violent and unyielding.

"I have been watching you and the others for a while now, but you never noticed me. I let you meet me. I let you help me tonight. I allow you to see me. But when I don't want you to find me, you won't."

"B-Black? You are…hurting me…" She winced at his grip.

"Then I know you're listening." He pulled her closer still, and forced her to meet those insane blue eyes that were filled with trauma. "You're going to go back to your tower and tell the rest of them I was delivered safely. You will not tell them you dropped me off here, and you will not tell them what I have said."

"But–"

His nails dug into her skin. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" He screamed.

"Y-yes!" She cried.

Instantly, he let go, and a friendly smile returned to his face. "Great! Bye bye Twinky Star!" He turned and jumped within the giant 'W' sign on the building, and seemingly disappeared.

Starfire, unsettled and quite upset, used any happy memory she had to get her back to the tower.

When she returned, her teammates were still on the roof, talking. She landed, the haunted and stricken look on her face obvious to everyone.

"What'd the weirdo do?"

She took a shuddering breath, the truth lodged in her throat. "As far as you all know, I dropped him off at the abandoned hat factory as he requested."

"As far as we know?" Raven inquired.

"But…that is only what he asked me to say. He actually had me drop him off at the Wayne building downtown. When I insisted that I should take him home, he…changed." She looked down to her arms, where little crescent shapes from his nails were visible. "He became…dark. He said he has been watching us, and we see him only when he allows it. Even tonight, he sought me out for help. It was…quite frightening."

"I believe it!" Beast Boy nearly shouted. "Did I tell you guys that he noticed me following him as a fly?! There's no way he could have known!"

"Raven, is he perhaps an empath? Or have powers similar to yours?"

"I could try to read his mind again when I see him, but I don't think I'll be able to. His mind is just…fragmented."

"We're dealing with someone way more dangerous than initially thought."

"So he stalks us. He's a crazy fan! At least he's stopping crime!"

"Or so he wants us to think," said Raven. "If that's all we've ever seen him do. If he's been watching us, he might be trying to find a way to take us down."

"We need to find a way to figure out what he's up to. There is a possibility that he really is a fan and doesn't want his crime fighting to get in our way. Slim chance, but it shouldn't be ruled out."

"Maybe we should ask him to stay with us. I mean, we have extra space now. Be easier to watch him," suggested Beast Boy.

Starfire stomped in anger. "Are you trying to say you want to replace Robin?!"

"No! No! No!" Cyborg held his hands up in defense. "We would never replace Rob! I think he's just saying, Black needs a lot of help and if we can at least get him off the streets, we should!"

There was a long pause as the team thought it over.

"Like Terra?" Beast Boy piped in.

"Yeah…"

"Since when do we house homeless psychos?" Raven asked. "It's more than we usually do. We can help him get into a shelter."

"No," said Cyborg. "That kid seems like the type to not stay in a shelter. He's trying to be independent. He'll probably get kicked out."

"It might be worth a shot just…inviting him over? Maybe one night at a time?" Said Beast Boy.

"And he's got talent," said Cyborg. "You should have seen him fight. He really handled himself."

"We should help if we can," said Starfire. "...don't you think Robin would think so?"

There was a pause before everyone mutually agreed.

—

"I can't believe these booger flingers don't let us put in pick up orders anymore," Gizmo said, waiting for their fresh pizza to cool down.

Mammoth didn't wait, and started eating the steaming pie. "Probably memorized our number and know we never pay."

"Don't know what they think making us sit in is going to do. I'm still gonna dine and dash."

The conversation ended quickly as Cyborg and Beast Boy joined them at the table.

"Great! What do you pit sniffers want?!"

"We haven't even done anything!" Mammoth protested. Then, a little quieter, "yet."

"I need a favor," said Cyborg, his eye pinning Gizmo.

"No stinkin' way! Me, do you a favor? As if!"

Cyborg was not deterred. He placed the SD card onto the table. "You know how to recover corrupted video files?"

Gizmo scoffed, "Of course I know how to do something so simple, you carpet muncher."

Beast Boy snorted. "Dude, you know what that means?"

"'Course I do! It means you're a pea brain and you can stick that card up your—"

"How about a trade?" Cyborg offered, calmly. "I'll buy your pizza here, and spot you for the next time."

Gizmo paused. A trade? Very interesting… "How about you pay for our pizza, and—" He grinned, "I want Robin's files on us."

"Deal." Cyborg said easily. "I'll pay for your dinner now. You can have the files when the job is done." And he got up.

"Hey, what's on this thing that's so important, anyway?"

Cyborg hesitated, but figured Gizmo would probably watch it anyway. "Clues to find Robin."

Gizmo scoffed. "You think Bird Brain is still alive?"

"No," Cyborg hung his head. "But we still want to find him."

After they left, Mammoth looked at the card on the table.

Gizmo picked it up, and popped it into his computer right then and there.

"You're gonna do it?"

"Free pizza is free pizza." Then he smirked. "And I'm wildly curious."

—

The next evening, Black took his normal patrol. The stitches on his head were hidden under a knit cap with a hole in it (from the dumpster). He looked just as grungy as the people he passed on the street.

As he walked through town, he came across an electronic store and saw the news playing on the assortment of screens. It showed five teenagers. Four of whom he recognized.

"There has still been no news of the whereabouts of the Titans leader, Robin, since his disappearance four months ago. The team has issued a statement."

Starfire's face showed up on the screen, her expression grave. "Please, if you have any knowledge of his location, please let us know. We miss him a great deal. Not only was he our leader, but he was also our friend. There is a reward for his return, and if a criminal gives us a tip, we will do our best to have their record cleaned up."

"Starfire?" He asked, looking at the screen.

The newscaster continued. "While the case of the missing leader has yet to be closed, the mayor has allocated the funds to build a statue in honor of the teen hero. The word memorial has been passed around, but the mayor insists this is in honor of Robin and his team."

"Robin?" Why did that name seem so familiar? Why did it make him so angry? Before he realized it, he had punched through the window. Passersby looked at him in concern.

"Leave me alone!" He shouted, covering his face in his bloody hands. His vision blurred and faded as he ran off.

By the time he came back to his senses, he was at his makeshift home, the abandoned hat factory. He took a breath and gathered his emotions. As usual, he couldn't remember what happened during the duration of his journey here. He couldn't even remember what route he took. A normal person would have been deeply disturbed by the lapses in lucidity, but Black was not a normal person, and was rather used to it at this point.

What he wasn't used to, however, were a pair of guards with guns standing in front of the factory. Technically, he had made his home inside the comically large hat that was on top of the factory as decoration, but he did occasionally sneak into the factory on colder nights.

"What's good, my dudes?" Black asked, strolling up to the guards.

"Beat it kid," one said with a growl.

Black did not leave, but considered these men more, strolling past them with a finger on his chin.

The guards were armed, but they were wearing suits like ushers in a theater. Complete with red cumberbuns.

"You gentlemen look dapper! Is the factory getting back in business?"

"I said scram!" The guard said again.

"What kind of guns are those?"

"The lethal kind." And one of the guards raised his weapon and aimed it at Black. "Not gonna tell you again, get lost!"

"You've said three different things," Black argued. "Beat it, scram, get lost. What do you want me to do?"

"Is this kid stupid?" One guard asked the other.

"Clearly."

"Okay, but like, I live here. Not here, but in the hat. I fixed it up nice too! So if this place is back in business, I think it's only fair that I pay rent. I have a few nickels?"

A voice called from inside, "What in the name of Houdini is going on out there?!"

"Nothing boss, just a dumb goth kid!"

"Black?! Is that you!?" Beast Boy's voice followed a beat after.

"Man, get out of here!" Cyborg called.

Oh, so this was a super villain thing! His first big break!

"Ohhhh…" Black nodded sagely. "I see what this is."

"Then you have to the count of 3! 1…2…–"

Black sent a fist one way and a kick the other. Striking one enemy in the face and the other in the balls. Ball man dropped his gun and curled up while face man shot a few rounds into the air. Black followed up on face man with a karate chop to the throat, punch to the stomach, and escorted his face into the pavement. Ball man started to recover, but not quickly enough before getting donkey kicked in the knee and then slammed backwards into the wall, unconscious.

Black then went to the now-unguarded door, and threw it open.

Inside, he saw his friends dangling together from a variety of colored ribbons in the center of the room. They were encased in a dark energy, while surrounded on the outside by several more of those well-dressed guards with guns. A man with blue skin and a top hat stood on a crate on the edge of the room.

"Black, you must leave!" Starfire yelled. "This is not a fight for you!"

"Ah! So this is the little street Batman I've heard so much about!" The villain, Mumbo, laughed. "By all means, I'd love to see you try anything. The Titans walked right into my trap, and unless you have anything remotely helpful, they will die. And you will too, unless you turn around and walk out."

Three guards changed their aim from the Titans to Black.

Black put his hands on his hips. "You aren't being hospitable."

Raven scoffed. "This kid is going to get himself killed."

Mumbo just laughed. "Not only am I not hospitable, but I'm outwardly hostile! Did you miss that?!"

Black frowned hard. "I really freaking hate clowns."

"I'm not a clown! I'm a magician!"

"Then why do you look like a strange Smurf-Pinochino crossbreed?"

Mumbo turned purple and literal steam blew out his ears. "Oh so he thinks he's a comedian! Kill him!"

"No!" Starfire shouted.

But Black merely darted behind a stack of crates, taking no shots. The henchmen continued firing on the crates, splintering the wood.

"Cease fire!" Mumbo called after the crates were nearly destroyed. "That should be enough. Besides, ammo is expensive. No need to waste it on a little pretend hero." He waved to someone to go check.

"Boss, he's gone!"

"What?!"

"There's an open vent over here!"

A voice called angrily from the ceiling. "Get your bitch ass out of my basement, ya goober!"

"He's in the ventilation system!" Mumbo called.

The henchmen started shooting at the exposed aluminum ductwork. The sprinkler system got hit and water started raining down in the room.

"Stop wasting bullets you idiots!"

The moment they stopped shooting, Black popped out of the vent directly above the Titans, now gray and fuzzy from dust, and descended the scarves like a Cirque Du Soleil acrobat, contorting into inhuman shapes.

"Black, seriously, you're outnumbered! We all are!" Cyborg warned.

Black just laughed as he continued to twist and flip, cutting the fabric with a pocket knife as he descended. He hit the dark aura that surrounded his friends, expecting to be able to move into it.

"Hey, what gives?"

"That's Raven's shield, it's the only thing keeping us from being shot!" Said Beast Boy.

"Then how the beans am I supposed to rescue you guys?"

"You aren't!" Said Cyborg, "we'll figure a way out, but you need to go! We can't protect you!"

"Black!" Starfire shrieked.

Black heeded her warning, and swung on the scarves to avoid the bullet aimed at his back. Then he glared at the henchmen that had shot at him. "It's rude to interrupt a conversation!" He leapt from the shield and took a flying kick at the henchman, drilling the man with his heel and knocking him unconscious.

Black wasted no time in his next attack, artfully flipping through the air to pounce and attack the next goon.

"What are you waiting for?!" Shouted Mumbo. "Shoot him now!"

"I can't get a clear shot without hitting the others!" A goon called as Black soared through the sky and careened two skulls together.

"Screw the others! I want that heckler dead!"

"Raven, this side is clear!" Starfire announced as she finally burned through the scarves holding her.

Raven released one side of the shield so Starfire could help Black. Beast Boy turned into a beaver and finished gnawing through the half burnt scarves holding him as well.

"No!" Mumbo lamented. "I had you! They said you were all a bunch of unorganized morons without Robin!"

Beast Boy turned into a rhino to clear the side that Raven and Cyborg were on. Raven was then able to free herself and Cyborg. "We'll take that into consideration to be more careful next time we think we have a feeble old man cornered."

In a last ditch effort, Mumbo cast a spell at Starfire, catching her in the air in a cocoon of vibrant scarves again. He sent her crashing into a stack of boxes in the back of the warehouse. Anyone who knew the alien, knew she was fine. But Black didn't.

Almost immediately after the crash. Black screamed in protest, the sound startling everyone. "NO!" A look of sheer anger scrawled across his face, his eyes alight with hatred. He ran full throttle at the magician, screaming.

Mumbo let out a girlish shriek and tried to shield himself. Black did a double front flip and came up underneath his arms, locking his knees round the man's neck. The boy turned his hips violently and threw Mumbo around, and cranked him down to the concrete.

Cyborg came running when he heard his neck snap and him scream in pain. Mumbo laid on the ground, crying. The last three henchmen that had been fighting stopped and put their hands up.

"DON'T. TOUCH. HER!" Black shouted in Mumbo's face, speaking between punches. "NEVER. TOUCH. HER!" He kicked the man on the ground, then brought his foot up, preparing to smash his heel into his head.

Starfire, who had already recovered, grabbed Black by his shoulders and pulled him back. "I am fine, friend. Do not fret!"

"You are a very bad man!" Black spat at the magician.

"P-please…I-I can't feel my legs…" After that attack, Mumbo had reverted back to his old man form, his magic faded away. "Help me!" He weakly grabbed Cyborg's arm. "I'll give up crime forever! Just-just get him away from me!"

"What is your problem?!" Beast Boy yelled at Black. "Don't you know anything?! You could have killed him! He's a thief! That's hardly worth the death sentence!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Black shouted with sarcasm. "But I thought my best friends' safety was most important! What about a thank you?! Or perhaps a Burger King coupon of gratitude?" Tears collected in his eyes. "I guess I don't really have any friends!" He turned and ran out of the warehouse.

"Wait! Black!" Starfire called.

"Later, Star! Mumbo needs medical attention!"

The alien watched dismally as the insane boy disappeared into the shadows.

The paramedics and police came and left. Mumbo had officially retired from crime, left with no choice, since he was now paralyzed. His henchmen that were still conscious were arrested, and some gave statements. In all, a bizarre end to a Titan battle.

The team began to shuffle into the car when Starfire looked up to the top hat atop the building.

"Coming Star?" Cyborg asked.

"No. I wish to talk to Black. I shall meet you all at home later."

Cyborg nodded at her request, and soon they were gone. Star floated up and hovered a few feet from the hat.

The hat was hollow, a fine shelter if you could get up to it. Black sat as a lump. His collar nearly covered his head, and he had his back to her.

The last time they had been alone, he had shown her a different side to himself. A cold, dark, cruel side. It made her defensive, but not unwilling to help this boy.

"Black?" She asked.

"Frankie died," He replied.

The Alien hovered over to look over the boy's shoulder. In his hands lay a pigeon, unmoving. "I am sorry. I can not imagine the feeling of losing a pet."

"It feels like I stepped on a lego." He sniffed. "Unforgiving." He stood up quickly and clutched the bird. "IT'S THE CIRCLE OF LIFE!" He then chucked the dead animal hard into a nearby building. "I rather enjoy a good round of Angry Birds." Then he dusted off his hands, smiling normally, like nothing bad had happened in the last hour.

Starfire cleared her throat and lowered to kneel on the roof. "I want to thank you for coming to our aid. And at the end, for standing up for me, but you did not have to. When I came to this planet, I created a massive crater in the asphalt, and came out without a scratch. It will take a lot for something to hurt me. We were working on a plan to get free, but you were most effective."

"Will I be sent to jail?" He asked, finally looking up at her with worry.

"I do not believe so, so say the police. Mumbo will need to go to a treatment facility instead of prison. We will take care of this."

"That's good." He rubbed his eyes. "I feel very icky."

"Are you ill?" She reached out and touched his forehead.

"I felt like this after Green Boy yelled at me."

"Beast Boy," she corrected.

"Yeah, him."

"I think, perhaps, you feel guilty."

"Guilty?"

"It is the feeling one gets after they have done something they know is wrong. I think you are feeling upset with yourself. But, you did not know, and it was an accident."

"I'm…I'm not all there." He stated, pulling his hat off and ringing it in his hands. "I know. I have moments where I lose lucidity. I think that might be insanity. But I want to be a good insane. Not a bad insane. I was so close to being a murderer tonight. That scares me…more than clowns scare me." He nodded to indicate it was very serious.

"Is there such a thing as a good insane?" She asked.

"If there is, I will be the first."

She smiled at that.

"You should smile more often. It gives me goose pimples."

"What made you jump in to help us? It seemed as if you did not hesitate to do so."

He scrunched up his face in thought as he laid back on top of the roof. "D'know. I saw the guards outside with guns and I just like…knew what to do. Everyone kept telling me to leave, but that seemed like a dumb thing to do." He shrugged. "I am a pretty big fan of clunking people."

"Black, why don't you come back with me to the tower?" She took his hand. "We can help you. Maybe you can even remember who you used to be."

He shook his head. "No, no. I can handle myself. I like it here, in my hat. And I don't want to know who I was. He gives me nightmares that I don't want to have."

"I understand. I was hesitant to accept help when I came here. But, if you ever need anything, just let us know. I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of each other."

He looked at himself. "Except I don't have any other clothes, so unless my shirt rips off, I don't think you'll see much more than this."

She giggled. "Have a nice evening, Black."

He stared at her hard with his piercing blue eyes. His glance was calculating, unsure. His brows furrowed. "Starfire?"

Her eyes widened. "Y-yes?" At that moment, she wasn't sure why, but she thought of Robin. Mumbo had been a great distraction, but the way Black said her name, it reminded her…

He pursed his lips, but that look of intense concentration faded away. "I've puzzled and puzzled until my puzzler was sore. And there's something about you that I've known from before."

"Is it the friend you told me about? The one you said you loved?"

"Maybe. But then again, what is love?"

Starfire blinked, not really knowing how to answer that.

"Baby don't hurt me," He sang as he bobbed his head.

She laughed, not really getting the reference. "Farewell, Black."

"Too-da-loo, Starfire."